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Blintzes and fruit were in ample supply April 27 at the Jeffco Fairgrounds, along with a healthy portion of optimism and goodwill. The 19th annual breakfast hosted by Jeffco’s Good News Coalition brought hundreds of county bigwigs and community members together to celebrate achievements in literacy over warm mugs of coffee.

A former inmate at the Jeffco jail is suing Sheriff Ted Mink, claiming he was held illegally for most of his 49-day stay.

Luis Quezada, who was living in Lakewood when he was arrested for failure to appear in court on a traffic charge, is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado.

“While Luis was locked up illegally, his sister was trying to do something about it,” said ACLU lawyer Mark Silverstein. Quezada’s sister contacted the civil-rights group, which filed a lawsuit April 21 against Mink.

About 200 Jeffco students gathered April 30 with a backdrop of white flags, balloons and peace signs for the fourth annual Day Without Hate. Students in white shirts gave out hugs and cheered at a rally that involved two students bands, the Denver Nuggets mascot, Rocky, and a short speech by Deer Creek Middle School teacher David Benke.

The mass of white-clad teens listened intently as Benke spoke in the district’s North Area Athletic Complex, which was adorned with flags customized by individual schools.

The Columbine Courier is presenting a series of interviews with candidates for the upcoming 2010 elections. This week features written interviews with the three candidates running for the Ward 4 board seat in the Foothills Park & Recreation District.

The May 4 Foothills election is being conducted through mail-in ballots that will be sent to residents of Wards 3 and 4.

A dedication event for Jefferson County’s new Hildebrand Ranch Park will take place May 6 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the park.

The dedication ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to park at the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, 8500 Deer Creek Canyon Road, where a shuttle will provide access to the park. Refreshments and music will be provided.

Hundreds of students, teachers and family members packed the Lakewood High School auditorium April 21 for the school district’s annual Celebration of Excellence.

More than a few South Jeffco faculty members and students were honored during the program, which also featured awards delivered by Deer Creek Middle School students Matt Thieu and Reagan Weber, as well as Sheriff Ted Mink.

Students at D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School took a low-key approach to Earth Day, and during a day on which conserving energy is particularly apropos, turning off some of the building’s lights was a silent celebration.

“I think that my generation has ruined the planet. And I think it’s up to this generation to fix the planet,” said assistant librarian Kim McSwain, who organized an Earth Day display in the library. “We only have one shot to do it.”

A liquor store employee on probation for selling alcohol to teenagers is accused of doing the same during an April 14 sting operation.

Van Pham, a 47-year-old Westminster resident, was allegedly caught selling a bottle of Corona beer to an underage person working with police. Part of Pham’s probation from an earlier conviction specifies he is not allowed to work in a liquor store.

The sale was allegedly made at Alameda Square Liquors, which is owned by Pham’s wife.

A county judge found probable cause April 28 to bind over for arraignment alleged Deer Creek Middle School gunman Bruco Eastwood on all 15 of the prosecution’s charges, including four counts of attempted murder.

Eastwood’s arraignment is scheduled for June 14 at 1 p.m., when he is expected to enter a plea.

Testimony from the preliminary hearing indicated Eastwood allegedly told investigators he had grievances with the school, which he attended in the early ’90s.